Inside the King's Library, Lau Mei had just finished her chess game when she noticed a beautiful lady dancing with a rather irritated expression. Curious about what was happening, she glanced around and spotted the lady's bodyguard hiding in a corner, secretly recording something with his phone.
It didn't take long for Lau Mei to realize that the beautiful lady was in trouble. The drunken gentleman dancing with her was making inappropriate advances, and the lady was clearly struggling to shake him off.
Lau Mei was about to intervene when Lui Yang called out to her.
"Mr. Lau, can we talk about this?" Lui Yang asked nervously. His face was visibly pale, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He was clearly panicking over his defeat in their chess game.
"Why? We both agreed to the wager of our own free will. Nobody forced us into it, and the King's Library, along with its loyal guests, witnessed our agreement. Isn't that right?" Lau Mei replied sarcastically.
Her eyes were filled with defiance as she raised an eyebrow and walked toward him.
"I want what I'm entitled to. Otherwise, you already know what happens to those who fail to honor their promises, don't you?" Lau Mei said contemptuously, almost as if she were daring Lui Yang to challenge her.
Lui Yang felt as though he were in grave danger if he provoked Mr. Lau any further.
"Mr. Lui Yang, you'd better walk away now, or you might end up losing everything..."
Lau Mei whispered those words before turning to leave. However, she suddenly stopped and glanced back at him.
"One more thing. The next time you start a game, make sure you finish it with honest intentions. Otherwise, you'll end up with nothing."
Lau Mei smiled as she delivered her final warning.
Meanwhile, Lui Yang clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms. His anger was clearly written all over his face.
How dare this newcomer insult me inside the King's Library? I'll make sure that bastard, Mr. Lau, kneels before me someday. And when that day comes, I'll make him suffer slowly until he regrets ever crossing me!
Consumed by anger, Lui Yang chose to walk away without another word. He then made his way out of the King's Hotel.
Back to Zhang Wei.
He was still staring at the gentleman in the green suit who had rescued him from the drunken man's advances. The man was now approaching him and saying something, but Zhang Wei was so mesmerized by Mr. Lau's appearance that he couldn't quite make out his words.
It wasn't until Lu Ting snapped his fingers in front of him that Zhang Wei finally returned to his senses.
"Oh... Yes! I'm listening," Zhang Wei replied, flustered but managing to regain his composure.
"You seem rather shaken by what happened. Would you like us to arrange some assistance or perhaps a stress debriefing? We could call someone if you need help," the gentleman in the green suit offered.
Zhang Wei was slightly taken aback by the man's concern.
"Thank you for your thoughtful offer, sir. However, I'd prefer not to attract any more attention," Zhang Wei replied gracefully.
He then continued, "But considering your gentlemanly attitude, I'm quite curious about who you are. May I know your name, sir?"
Zhang Wei smoothly steered the conversation toward his real intention: gathering information about the mysterious gentleman.
Unfortunately, he learned very little. All he managed to discover was that the man was Mr. Lau, a loyal guest of the King's Hotel but apparently a newcomer to the King's Library.
What an intriguing identity Mr. Lau has. He entered this place like a nobleman, yet there's something rebellious about his personality. Just like the way he handled that situation earlier. I must admit, though, that it was a close call. Things could have turned out much worse.
While they were conversing, a butler approached them carrying a bottle of chilled vintage wine covered with an elegant table napkin.
"Good evening, Young Miss and Young Master. We would like to offer you both this bottle of wine as compensation for the inappropriate behavior of our former guest and for the delay in addressing the incident you encountered earlier. We sincerely apologize for what happened. We assure you that the King's Hotel will take the necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. We hope you will continue to enjoy your evening."
The butler bowed respectfully before presenting the wine.
"Hmm... Well, I suppose my date isn't coming anymore. It's already been an hour and a half since I arrived. Since we have this bottle of wine, I'd like to invite you to join me for a drink," Zhang Wei said, a hint of disappointment evident in his eyes.
He couldn't help feeling a little disheartened. After all, he had gone through so much trouble transforming himself, only for his date to stand him up.
"How could I possibly refuse an invitation from such an unrivaled beauty? The gentlemen around us would surely be disappointed if I declined. Besides, it would be my pleasure to enjoy a drink with you. Please, lead the way, Miss."
Lau Mei glanced around and noticed that several male guests were giving her rather intimidating looks. It seemed that they were all waiting for her to refuse so they could seize the opportunity to take her place.
Even she wouldn't dare say no to an invitation to enjoy vintage wine with such a beautiful lady!
Zhang Wei instructed the butler to bring the wine to their reserved room. Lu Ting followed closely behind them.
What's gotten into this playboy friend of mine? Lu Ting wondered.
From what he could see, Zhang Wei was beginning to embrace the role he was playing, especially when it came to the not-so-tall gentleman who had rescued him.
He couldn't help imagining Zhang Wei acting like a damsel in distress who had just been saved by her Prince Charming.
And the worst part?
He was being completely ignored!
This continued until they finally entered the reserved room.
"Mr. Lau, may I ask how you knew I was recording? I thought I was hiding pretty well. I'm actually trying to improve my recording skills," Lu Ting asked, directing his question toward Lau Mei in an attempt to put her on the spot.
"Well, since you asked, I'll tell you. It was the way you were holding your phone. Although you were hiding in a corner, the way you positioned your camera was rather suspicious. What made it even more obvious was that you were silently laughing, as though you found something amusing about Miss Zhang being touched inappropriately."
Lau Mei gave him a knowing smirk after finishing her explanation.
Lu Ting was caught completely off guard. He couldn't think of a single excuse to defend himself.
When Zhang Wei heard what Mr. Lau had said, he immediately shot Lu Ting a murderous glare that sent chills down his friend's spine.
"Well, my bodyguard..." Zhang Wei began, giving Lu Ting a chilling look accompanied by a feminine smirk.
"NEEDS SOME TRAINING!"
He deliberately emphasized those words, making Lu Ting even more terrified.
Desperate to save himself, Lu Ting quickly tried to change the subject.
"Why don't we... try the wine? I mean, why don't the two of you have some wine first?"
He stammered as he hurriedly poured wine into their glasses. Afterward, he decided to keep his mouth shut and settled into a corner, hoping to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
"Well, it's been a pleasure talking with you, Miss Zhang. However, may I ask what brings you here tonight? It's quite rare for the King's Library to welcome a newcomer, especially one with such unparalleled beauty," Lau Mei asked.
She gently swirled the wine in her glass before turning her attention back to Zhang Wei.
"As I mentioned earlier, my date never showed up," Zhang Wei replied.
He picked up his wineglass, gently swirled its contents, and took a moment to appreciate its aroma before bringing it close to his lips. He then flashed Lau Mei his most feminine smile.
"Well, your date will surely regret missing the opportunity to meet someone as beautiful as you," Lau Mei remarked.
She glanced at her wineglass and gave a mocking smirk, as though she were directing her words at the very person Zhang Wei had been waiting for.
"I certainly hope so. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as I expected. Luckily, a gentleman like you came to my rescue and saved my evening."
Zhang Wei smiled before taking a sip of his wine.
"Since the two of us might not be able to finish this entire bottle, why don't we invite my bodyguard to join us? After all, there's a saying that goes, 'The more, the merrier.' What do you think?"
Zhang Wei was subtly trying to gather more information about Lau Mei. He was curious about how this mysterious gentleman had suddenly appeared and come to his rescue.
Little did he know that Lau Mei was equally curious about him and was also trying to uncover more about his identity.
"Well, if that would make you happy, please feel free to invite him," Lau Mei replied with a smile.
At the same time, she was already forming a few plans in her mind.
With Lau Mei's approval, Zhang Wei invited Lu Ting to join them for a drink.
The evening continued as the three of them enjoyed their wine and conversation. Eventually, however, they drank far more than they had intended and ended up completely drunk, barely remembering anything that had happened throughout the night.
When one of the King's Library butlers entered the reserved room and saw the condition of the three guests, he immediately called for assistance.
To prevent them from causing any trouble inside the establishment, the butlers discreetly arranged separate rooms for each of them and personally escorted them to their respective accommodations.